Northern Ireland Office

Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have agreed a budget for 2016–17 with the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland, and if so, what is that budget.

Lord Empey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the expenditure of the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland in each of the last five financial years.

Lord Dunlop: The Chief Electoral Officer will receive funding from a number of sources for the year 2016-17. An initial resource budget (excluding depreciation) of £2,011,000 has been allocated to the Chief Electoral Officer. Further funding – both capital and resource – will be made available to support the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland transformation programme which includes the introduction of digital registration. The Chief Electoral Officer will also receive funding from the Consolidated Fund and the Northern Ireland Assembly to support the EU Referendum and Northern Ireland Assembly elections that are due to take place in 2016. More detailed questions on expenditure are operational matters for the Chief Electoral Officer who is independent of Government. The Chief Electoral Officer publishes information on his operating costs in his annual report which is presented to Parliament and copies are made available in the Library of the House.This information is also available on the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland website: http://www.eoni.org.uk/Utility/About-EONI/Plans-and-reports.  The Reports of the Chief Electoral Officer list expenditure for the last 5 financial years as follows:Financial YearResource Expenditure Capital Expenditure2010/11£2,740,400£02011/12£2,608,200£16,1002012/13£2,666,300£142,0002013/14£5,427,900 *£92,0002014/15£2,320,000£56,200* includes expenditure for the 2013 canvass

Department for International Development

Overseas Aid

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why no mention of human rights is made in the new UK aid strategy; whether they intend to address that omission; and if so, how.

Baroness Verma: The UK Aid Strategy was published alongside the Government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review which sets out the Government’s approach to human rights. The UK will continue to promote universal human rights as an integral part of building prosperity and stability around the world. We will work with our partners to strengthen the promotion and protection of human rights and hold to account those responsible for violations and abuses. This is part of our work to promote the golden thread of democracy, rule of law, free media and open, accountable institutions.The UK Aid Strategy has at its heart the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, which represent a commitment to achieve substantive, measurable improvements on economic, social and political human rights. It commits to leading the world in implementing the Leave No One Behind Promise agreed by the Prime Minister and other world leaders in September 2015. The ‘leave no one behind’ principle is an expression of the human rights agenda, which the UK played a key role in securing in negotiations. It also commits us to working towards ending violence against girls and women, including ending FGM and child, early and forced marriage, and tackling sexual violence in conflict. It commits to prioritising work that targets the most vulnerable and disadvantaged, the most excluded, those caught in crises, and those most at risk of violence and discrimination.

World Humanitarian Summit

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to ask that unrecognised entities such as Gaza, Nagorno-Karabakh and the Cantons of Northern Syria be invited, at least as observers, to the UN World Humanitarian Summit in May.

Baroness Verma: The World Humanitarian Summit has been convened by the UN Secretary-General. Whilst it is for him to decide on participants, he has been clear in his intention to make the Summit an open and participative process. Over 5,000 participants are expected in Istanbul, including leaders from crisis-affected communities.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Sports: Drugs

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of reports that a doctor prescribed performance-enhancing drugs to 150 athletes, what steps they are taking to ensure that sports in the UK are free from doping.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The Government is deeply concerned by these allegations. Sports fans are entitled to be sure that what they are watching is true and fair with all athletes competing on a level playing field. We are grateful for the investigative journalism by the Sunday Times for bringing these apparent abuses to light, and we have asked for there to be an urgent independent investigation into what action was taken when these allegations were first received and what more needs to be done to ensure that British sport remains clean. The Government is also looking at whether existing legislation in this area goes far enough. If it becomes clear that stronger criminal sanctions are needed then we will not hesitate to act.

Department for Work and Pensions

State Retirement Pensions

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is being done to ensure there is clear communication to people about the new state pension.

Baroness Altmann: The Department undertakes extensive research to ensure our communications are clear, targeted and effective.The ‘Know the Facts’ campaign, launched in November 2014, uses radio, print and digital advertising to raise awareness of the changes to the State Pension. It directs people to detailed information and material including blogs, videos and resource packs on GOV.UK, and encourages those closest to State Pension age to get a new State Pension statement.We continually improve all our communications, based on regular evaluation and feedback, to ensure messages are clear and informative. We also work closely with key intermediaries and stakeholders to share our messages widely.The new State Pension campaign includes specific messages to those who may benefit from ways to increase their State Pension; those who may be most at risk of not meeting the minimum qualifying period; and to explain the impact of past periods of contracting-out. We have also reassured pensioners on the old system that they are not affected by these changes.People can now also get a personalised State Pension statement online. They will be given a forecast of how much they could get when they reach State Pension age, and find out how to increase this amount. People who do not want to, or cannot use the online service, can continue to request a statement by phone or post.

Home Office

Immigration

Lord Green of Deddington: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimate they have made of (1) the effect of immigration, and (2) the effect of immigration from the EU, on the UK’s GDP per head in the last 10 years.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: No such estimate has been made.

Asylum: Afghanistan

Baroness Hamwee: To ask Her Majesty’s Government when they will announce the outcome of their review of their policy of returning to Afghanistan Afghan military interpreters who have sought asylum in the UK.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The policy on considering asylum claims is not under review. We carefully consider all asylum claims made in the UK, including those made by former interpreters with our armed forces in Afghanistan, in accordance with our international obligations under the Refugee Convention. Those who demonstrate a well-founded fear of persecution are normally granted protection and are not expected to return to their country.Those who are found not to be in need of international protection are refused but have a right of appeal to the independent courts. Once all appeal rights are exhausted, they are required to leave the UK, failing which their removal will be enforced.Separate schemes have existed since 2013 to assist interpreters previously employed by the UK Armed Forces. These apply only to those who have remained in Afghanistan and, in recognition of their unique and exceptional service or the danger interpreters may face because of their work, can lead to relocation to the UK if certain criteria are met.

Immigration Bill

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what estimates they have made of the impact on levels of both homelessness and destitution of the enactment of the Immigration Bill.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We expect migrants with no lawful basis to remain to leave the UK. The Immigration Bill will provide the means by which accommodation and other support can be made available in appropriate circumstances prior to their departure.

Refugees: Europe

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they agree with the International Rescue Committee's (IRC) call for Europe to resettle 108,000 refugees each year for the next five years; and whether they accept the arguments in the IRC's situation briefing dated 24 March.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government considers the resettlement of targeted groups of refugees, particularly the most vulnerable, to be a vital part of the international response to the current migration crisis. However, we do not support the setting of binding quotas or targets by any organisation, either at European or international level. In our view national resettlement schemes, run and co-ordinated with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and other partners, is the best way for each country to make its own contribution.We have committed to resettling 20,000 vulnerable Syrians over the lifetime of this Parliament and we saw the first 1,000 arrive before Christmas 2015. This is in addition to the other resettlement schemes that we operate, including Gateway, under which 750 refugees from all over the world are resettled each year.Resettlement is only one strand of the Government’s efforts. It complements our significant humanitarian aid programme, including £2.3 billion to the Syria region, and diplomatic efforts to end the conflict in Syria. The Government is clear that this approach is the best way to ensure that the UK’s help has the greatest impact for the majority of refugees who remain in the region and their host countries surrounding Syria.

Refugees: Calais

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they have taken in the light of the report by Help Refugees in March that 129 unaccompanied children are unaccounted for in the Calais refugee camp.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is working closely with the French Government to ensure that unaccompanied children in Calais and Dunkirk quickly receive the support and protection they need.The UK-France Joint Declaration of 20 August 2015 committed the two governments to establishing a permanent official contact group focused on ensuring that the provisions of the Dublin III Regulation are used efficiently and effectively, including the provisions on family unity.As a result a Home Office official has recently been seconded to the Interior Ministry’s Dublin Unit in Paris in part to assist with the identification of potential requests for the UK to take charge of asylum seeking children in France and to bring them into the Dublin Regulation procedure without delay.In order to receive the proper support they need and to be eligible under Dublin, children must first make an asylum for application in France.

Asylum: Deportation

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the correction by Lord Bates on 24 March to his Written Answer on 19 October 2015 (HL2297), why they gave incorrect figures for the number of young asylum seekers deported on reaching their 18th birthday in their initial answer, and why it took them five months to correct those figures.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The incorrect figures given in the original response to Question HL2297 resulted from the use of an incorrect definition which excluded former Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children who now had linked dependants and cases made prior to October 2006. This error was identified following the correction of PQ 13206 in February 2016, which prompted a review of other related answers resulting in correction of this and five related House of Commons answers.Such mistakes are rare and when they occur they are taken very seriously. It is regrettable that human error caused the original response to be incorrect. Improvements have been put in place to ensure that such mistakes will not be made in future. The appropriate definition has been reviewed, confirmed and made clear to the officials involved.

British Nationality

Baroness Buscombe: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their rationale for continuing to offer British Citizenship to EU migrants.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The requirements for naturalisation are set out in the British Nationality Act 1981 and include a period of lawful residence, settled status, good character, and knowledge of language and life in the United Kingdom. These apply equally to EEA and non-EEA nationals.

Offenders: Deportation

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what steps they are taking, in cases where foreign national offenders are given sentences of 12 months imprisonment or more, to ensure that deportation processes begin as soon as the offender reaches prison.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The removal of foreign national offenders (FNOs) has been increasing year on year since 2010/11. In 2015, the Home Office removed 5,602 FNOs, with 2,059 FNOs removed within the Early Removal Scheme period.The Home Office aims to commence deportation proceedings as quickly as possible for all FNOs upon receiving the referral from the National Offenders Management Service, which happens upon sentencing. The timescales for commencing deportation action depend on the length of the custodial sentence a person receives. For example, if an offender receives a short sentence, such as 12 months or less, deportation action is initiated immediately upon referral. Where an offender receives an indeterminate sentence, deportation action will commence closer to their date of release, as cases are prioritised based on sentence length.(1) The figures quoted have been derived from management information from the Home Office databases and are therefore provisional and subject to change. This information has not been quality assured under National Statistics protocols. (2) A Foreign National Offender (FNO) is defined as an individual with a criminal case on the Home Office's Case Information Database, and may include individuals with asylum cases. (3) Total FNO removals figures relate to those cases that have been deported, administratively removed or voluntarily departed from UK.

Sovereign Wealth Funds: Malaysia

Lord Myners: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether any enquiries have been launched into the involvement of UK financial institutions in the matter of the Malaysian state fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Government is committed to ensuring that the UK has a robust but proportionate anti-money laundering regime. The UK’s first National Risk Assessment of money laundering was published on 15 October 2015. It identified the threats and vulnerabilities faced in this area, and an Action Plan will be published shortly, clearly setting out the steps that will be taken to address them.The Prime Minister made clear in his Singapore speech on corruption last year that the Government is determined to make sure the UK does not become a safe haven for corrupt money. The Prime Minister's Anti-Corruption Summit in May will also consider what more the UK and our international partners can do to tackle flows of illicit finance at home and abroad.Any investigation is an operational matter for the police and the prosecution authorities. The decision on whether to investigate a case, and then take forward a prosecution, will depend on the evidence available.

Refugees: Females

Baroness Kinnock of Holyhead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of claims that women refugees who are in the UK (1) are not guaranteed female interviewers and interpreters who have been trained in sexual violence and trauma, (2) are not always provided with childcare during interviews, and (3) are not given adequate information about their rights.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: When an application for asylum is lodged, all asylum seekers are provided with information, in a range of languages, about the asylum process including appeal rights and other rights and responsibilities. In addition this leaflet, entitled ‘Information about your asylum application’, also includes details of where asylum seekers can obtain information about local legal advisers and local and national voluntary sector organisations who can provide assistance. For instance Asylum Help (part of Migrant Help), is funded by the Home Office and have a presence at many of the initial accommodation sites across the UK as well as providing a multi lingual website and freephone service offering confidential and impartial advice and guidance to adult asylum seekers and their dependants.Since April 2015, female asylum seekers are guaranteed a female interviewer at their substantive asylum interview. In addition we also provide female interpreters where operationally possible. All asylum interview officers and decision makers receive training on gender issues during their initial training, this includes information about dealing sensitively with sexual trauma and violence.Childcare facilities are currently provided in our Cardiff, Leeds and Solihull interview suites, with similar provisions soon to be made available in Glasgow and Liverpool. We are working towards tendering a national childcare contract to enable facilities to be made available in all our asylum casework hubs.

Cabinet Office

Civil Servants: Training

Lord Hunt of Chesterton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what their current plans are to improve and extend the training of entering civil servants following changes to in-house training over the past 10 years; what plans they have to use universities to help provide training for civil servants; and whether they will encourage specialised agencies and departments to provide their own training or to outsource it where appropriate.

Lord Bridges of Headley: There is a comprehensive induction programme for all new civil servants which was introduced in 2015, as well as department and role specific development provided by each department. Senior external recruits also have opportunities to hear from senior officials, network with their peers and get access to a mentor or buddy as part of their induction. As with every learning and development programme, the content and approach to induction is continually reviewed to ensure that it meets current and future needs.Civil Service Learning (CSL) provides a core suite of learning for all civil servants, for example on leadership and management. The learning and development providers working with CSL are based around consortia containing universities and their business schools. MIT and Cranfield University are helping to develop the curriculum for the Senior Civil Service, and the Open University is a key partner in delivering learning for all other grades. They have also worked with the London School of Economics on a Policy Masters.Whilst CSL provides learning that meets the needs of all civil servants, specialised agencies and departments do provide their own training. Examples include the Diplomatic Academy run by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and HMRC’s Tax Academy. Professions also provide their own training – for example through the Commercial College and the Government Finance Academy. This provision represents a mix of internal delivery and outsourcing. CSL provides support and guidance on good practice to departments and professions.